Not a great surprise to hear Danny Mills saying there is no difference between what happened yesterday and Elland Road last season. I did think there was a chance he might grasp the fact that there was no guarantee that the game stays at 1-0 even if they allow the goal but that concept seemed alien to him as well.
Danny Mills and Danny Murphy, a prize pair of tools bringing down the good name of Dannies everywhere.
The thing I got most from the game, eventually, was the fact I could actually be comfortable and considerably wealthier by watching it from my armchair. The initial shock of an empty Villa Park and the piped in noise was actually quite upsetting. The games itself? If in August we knew that with 10 games to go Keinan Davies was going to be our main striker I would have expected us to already be relegated and preparing for next season. That on top of Jack playing on the wing will get Smith sacked as I struggle to see how our owners, Mr Purslow or our Director of Football will agree or understand that tactic. I thought we wanted a club wide, 8 year olds to first team method of play? I never saw Brentford play hoof ball when they passed us off the pitch for 3 seasons. That said we still have our destiny in our hands until the moment West Ham on the same games go 3 or more points ahead of us. Until then I’ll keep the (Blind) faith.
Could a point per game keep us up? In other words, is there a chance 35 points, as it usually would, might still be enough? Before the break we all thought it would take 40 points. Maybe that's no longer the case given the disruptions for in-form Watford and the fact that you have to fancy the teams with bigger squads given the 5-subs situation?
This is in today's newspaper:Sports lawyers have suggested Sheffield United would have a legal case to pursue the Premier League should the club miss out on a European spot as a result of the Hawk-Eye blunder.However, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) is understood to be resistant to the possibility of any changes in its protocol, and is opposed to using the video assistant referee to double check any future mistakes.Any increased use of Var would lead to further criticism for the technology delaying the flow of play, officials believe. "Last night was a freak... a perfect storm," one source close to the organisation said.Sports lawyer Nick De Marco QC, of Blackstone Chambers, has said, however, that both United and clubs finishing a point below Villa in the relegation fight could have a “good claim”. “If Sheffield United end up being denied qualification for a Uefa competition by two points or less, or another club finishes a point below Aston Villa at the end of the season and is relegated instead of them, considering the amount of money at stake you cannot rule out a club bringing a claim against the Premier League, the providers of the technology, or both," he said. "Such a claim might be unprecedented, but, depending on all the circumstances, it could be a good claim.”